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22-06-2009 It was in 1994 that my wife and I entered the small visitor centre of Laphroaig for the first time. There was no one there and we looked a bit around, till a gentleman showed up with a green "Laphroaig" embroidered sweater. He introduced himself: "Hi, I am Iain Henderson, I am the manager". There wasn't a tour anymore that day, but he showed us around as if we were the first tourists he saw that year. When we left we bought a nice bottle. A 30 year old Ardbeg...sorry for that. I have met Iain on a number of occasions. Last time we met was at the launch of "The Legend of Laphroaig" November 2007 when he had come over to Holland for the occasion, hosted by Dutch Laphroaig importer A Brand New Day. We were in Scotland the last week of May this year and had made an appointment with Iain to meet and have lunch in St. Andrews. He had agreed on doing an interview for WhiskyFun.com. Serge Valentin and I had prepared some questions and the result you can see here: www.whiskyfun.com. Thanks Iain for the interview and passing your love for the distillery on to me. The next months I will show some of Iains private pictures which he kindly has given me to scan.
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14-06-2009 It's getting harder and harder finding new and interesting bottles, but soon expected: batch no.1 of the 10 year old cask strength and the Feis Ile 2009 bottle. I will also add pictures from time to time from the personal collection of former manager Iain Henderson. Here are two, reflecting how moody Islay weather can be.
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| 05-04-2009 Ended my Face Book profile today. |
| 28-03-2009 Very happy with this 27 year old bottle for the staff members of Laphroaig. Only 94 bottles. Comes with certificate:
New added: Highgrove 2008 edition |
27-03-2009 Nice new Dutch website: The Whisky Sites Directory |
28-02-2009 Found this postcard probably from the late 1970-ties. The old chimney, which was knocked down around 1983 is still erect.
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27-02-2009 New added: an experiment by my Italian friend Diego Sandrin, who finished a 10 year old cask strength distillery bottle in a Clinto cask for 14 months. I am not a big fan of exotic wood finishes but this is really good. Read Whiskyfun.com's comment about this bottle. I have been looking for this strange mini for the Japanese market for years: combination of a Laphroaig and Glenfiddich mini Through a marketing tie up
ALLIED SUNTORY distributed both brands in Japan.
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| 16-01-2009 New added: Triple wood 10 year old distillery bottle with customised label 21 year old distillery bottle for the US market (thanks Andy) Laphroaig's origin Irish? During the last year I have received several questions from the Johnston family and Gaelic researchers why Laphroaig's version on their website of the earliest history is different than the one in "The Legend of Laphroaig" and which is commonly accepted by historians. A lot of incorrect information has been written about their history in the past and this has always been a sensitive point to the Johnston family. Therefore I have added a small chapter to "history" about it. Come on Laphroaig, please change it! Laphroaig is not of Irish origin! "On Laphroaig’s
official website it is stated that the Johnstons were descendants
from three McCabe brothers (being of MacDonald stock) who came to
Islay after the Jacobite uprising of 1745. Historically this is not
true. There are no records of McCabes on Islay in the 18th century
and the direct ancestors of the Johnston family can be tracked down
till around 1715. (The McCabes are an Irish clan, branch of the MacLeods
of Arran who immigrated to Ireland in the 14th century.) |
| 10-01-2009 The Christmas discount on "The Legend" has been ended today. Soon added: distillery bottle "Triple Wood"and the US version of the 21 year old. |
| 21-12-2008 New added: Cairdeas 30 year old |
07-12-2008 Link to a great new website by Philip Morrice. Philip published a book in 1987 called "The Distilleries of Scotland and Ireland". Familiar name? Right, a remake of Alfred Barnard's book from 1887 exactly 100 years later, both published by Harper's Weekly Gazette. A 1000 copies were printed, originally for the trade only. An unknown number of books was destroyed during a fire of the warehouse the books were stored. Like Barnard 100 years earlier, Philip visited every working distillery in 1985 and 1986. The result is one of the most beautiful whisky books I have ever seen, though not very well known. A masterpiece. Only a few copies are left. Philip is also the author of the Schweppes Guide to Scotch.
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| 21-11-2008 This is what whisky and collecting make fun: a 10 year old US import probably from the 1940-ties or 50-ties. Extremely rare (thanks to Rafael Reyes, US). |
17-11-2008 Added an 18 year old from Celtic Connections (thanks Bert) |
11-11-2008 New added: 21 year old for World of Whiskies to commemorate the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 10 year old for France with strange label (thanks Patrick) |
17-10-2008 How rare can it get? Five year old cask sample that was given to Walter Schobert by former distillery manager Iain Henderson in the 1990-ties (many thanks to Werner Hertwig in Berlin, who knows a lot more about whisky than about football). |
| 14-09-2008 Quote by Han van Wees: "Today's whisky drinkers are having a hard time. They have to make tasting notes, keep up with every new bottling, web site, whisky forum etc. Go to every festival and tasting. In the old days you just enjoyed your dram..." New added to the site: very old Islay Mist 1969 G&M with "handwritten" Gaelic label (both bottles thanks to Bert Vuik) hard to find US 15 year old distillery bottle (thanks Christian) 1973 Berry Bros & Rudd (thanks Werner) |
11-08-2008 Thanks to Chris Hayden (USA) I added this extremely rare US import 10 year old Laphroaig. An oldie probably from the 1950-ties or 1960-ties. |
25-07-2008 Though I do not always agree with Serge Valentin on his ratings of whiskies (he is much too kind..), I fully agree with him that drinking and driving is bloody stupid. Whisky is expensive stuff and whisky drinkers are usually not poor people, so why not spend some euro's on a taxi or hotel? For your own safety and that of others. Therefore this banner and have a look on Serge's website.
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| 18-07-2008 Received these pictures from Mark Unsworth from Islay Studios today. Mark has written a really nice book about Islay: "Islay Past and Present- A Century of Change". Thanks Mark. Here you see Alan Hyslop hand over a copy of our book "The Legend of Laphroaig" to HRH Prince Charles, which Hans Offringa and I had signed for him. Thanks Alan and Laphroaig.
(click on the image for the original size) |
17-07-2008 Really nice new website about the closed distillery Glenugie by Bob Hulsebosch from The Netherlands. Well done!
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| 11-07-2008 Manager Evert Lans showing "The Legend" in front of a pallet of books ready to be shipped, just when I visited Dutch distributor Hexspoor.
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08-07-2008 Page 3 added of "the distillery", containing 32 really nice pictures taken by Hans Offringa, during the making of "The Legend". |
| 04-07-2008 The left-overs of "The Legend": new added pictures of the distillery. Check the book for more pictures and explanation. |
26-06-2008 New added: history section. A summary of "The Legend".
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| 20-06-2008 On Wednesday June the 4th, HRH Prince Charles and his wife Camilla visited the distillery. On the occasion, a copy of our book was presented to him by Laphroaig's Alan Hyslop. Thank you, Alan and Laphroaig!! Nothing wrong with a little PR. On Laphroaig's website the whole story with pictures will be published soon. Here are some pics already of the visit:
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| 15-06-2008 The 1978 cask returned to Islay and was picked up from my home on May the 19th. The cask will be displayed in the future museum.
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14-06-2008 New added: bottleshop24 Laphroaig 8 years old (thanks Dil) |
10-06-2008 Added a Cadenhead 12 year old 1984 |
08-06-2008 New added: Two bottles for Feis Ile 2008: Cairdeas |
06-06-2008 At last a new bottle! Never seen this one. Found it in Brasil! 10 year old Islay malt Scotch Whisky Swiss import Soon added to the site: Feis Ile 2008 bottle and a Cadenhead Authentic Collection 1984 |
24-03-2008 Looking for an Islay Mist with this label:
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15-03-2008 New added to the site: Very rare US import 10 yo "Unblended" by Regal Brands (thanks Andy!) |
02-03-2008 New added: Rare French import 10 year old distillery bottle 25 year old OB finished in Oloroso casks 750 ml Quarter cask (thanks Christian) 10 year old OB 35 cl ( thanks again Christian) |
19-12-2007 12 year old distillery bottle from one Oloroso cask (thanks to Christian Warmuth) |
16-12-2007 New added: Extremely rare distillery bottle "Non Peaty" from the 1930-ties 1980 Vintage 27 years old from five Oloroso casks Triangular bottle from Sestante 1968 Connoisseurs Choice brown label 15 years old 1970 Rare 1o year very old distillery US import Elsbach & Co. Stone 25cl bottle 15 years old Soon expected: 12 year old Oloroso finished distillery bottle for the duty free market and some minis |
| 14-11-2007 Two pictures of the launch of "The Legend of Laphroaig".
Iain Henderson and Hans and Marcel.
Master blender Robert Hicks with the authors. |
| 14-09-2007 Two extremely rare bottles added: 10 year old probably from the 1940- or 50-ties Green dumpy 14 years old from Cadenhead Soon expected: 1989 Vintage "retirement bottle" from Iain Henderson (again...?) and two rare minis News from "The Legend of Laphroaig": the release date is set for the 9th of November 2007, during the opening night of "Whisky Live!" in Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Here is the cover of "The Legend...". It's not completely finished but gives a good impression.
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27-07-2007 New added: Distillery bottles |
| 20-07-2007 At the moment we are working with graphic designer Gijs Dragt on the design of the cover and pages. Research, text and photography are ready and we are in the process of "fine-tuning". Hans Dillesse has made the illustrations, which we will place with every new chapter. The book will contain some 210 pages, all about Laphroaig and nice old bottles, with lots and lots of pictures. We are fine on scedule and planning to launch "The Legend of Laphroaig" during Whisky Live in Leiden, the Netherlands, on November the 10th. Hopefully I can show the cover in a week or so. |
20-06-2007 My entire collection has been photographed by Dutch photographer Guus Pauka and we have discovered two new files. We have so much beautiful material now, it's gonna be difficult to make a selection. Hans Dillesse is working on the illustrations. I have seen a few, and they look just great. While my co-writer is complaining about the hard work, I have added some new bottles: thanks to my Austrian friend Christian Warmuth: 10 year old Bonfanti Laphroaig 10 year old Laphroaig from Mario Rossi very rare USA import 15 year old Regal Brands
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27-04-2007 New added: Islay Mist without any information and bottle with a really nice label: NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS-NEWS Just back from Islay and Glasgow with Hans and Becky. We worked really well for two weeks and had fantastic cooperation from the Laphroaig people and the people at the Archives of the Glasgow University. Special thanks to Iain Russell, of the Scottish Brewing Archive who came up with an abundance of new information. This is probably not the most exciting of Glasgow buildings, but the the people and its content make up for that:
OK, and here is one of Laphroaig:
and Emma and Jack in the visitor centre:
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| 05-03-2007 Together with Dutch whisky writer Hans Offringa and Laphroaig (Beam Global), I have started working on a book on Laphroaig, titled "The Legend of Laphroaig". It will be about Islay, Laphroaig's history, Laphroaig today, introducing the people who make the whisky, and a big selection of Laphroaig bottles, containing almost every existing bottle. There will also be chapters about the Friends of Laphroaig, HRH Prince Charles and Laphroaig's website. Hans, his American wife Becky and I will go to Islay in April and make interviews, pictures etc. We have been kindly given permission by Michael Cockram of Beam Global to use any material in their archives available. I have seen most of it already and it is spectacular. Illustrations will be made by Dutch artist Hans Dillesse. The book will be sold through the website of the Friends of Laphroaig and will be launched early November. Anybody who has something which might be of interest to us, information, pictures, bottles, please, let us know!! Here is a sneak preview:
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| 11-03-2007 New added: 1988 vintage for the Swedish market |
| 03-03-2007 New added: G&M Italian import from Sestante 1968 Soon expected: 1988 vintage distillery bottle for the Swedish market |
29-12-2006 Finally cleaned up the mini mess... |
| 23-12-2006 Christmas update (thanks Peter): 10 year old 75 cl / 40% before 1994 15 year old for a financial department of Allied Italian 15 year old Assago (Milan) Rare replica of a glass decanter won by Laphroaig in 1993 Sculpture of Laphroaig distillery by Michael Bergin and this years show stoppers, two very old and rare minis: |
18-11-2006 New added: Signatory dumpy 1966 cask 1094 never seen this one before: Hard to find Japanese 10 year old "Pure Unblended Islay Scotch Malt Whisky" |
07-11-2006 New added: 14 year old brown label Connoisseurs Choice 1973 1987 vintage distillery bottle 8 years old Premier Barrel from Douglas Laing Artist Edition 8 year old bottling for The Whisky Fair label designed by webmaster Hans Dillesse !! |
14-10-2006 (Dipsies day) New added: 13 year old Cadenhead 1967 old brown dumpy The mini section is still a mess... |
23-09-2006 New added: German import 10 year old Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 10 year old distillery bottling/40% before 1994 10 year old 20cl "Friends of Laphroaig" Soon I hope to refurbish the mini section; it's a bit messy now... |
22-08-2006 New added: 10 year old distillery bottle Regal Brands (USA import) |
| 03-08-2006 Nice article in Whisky Magazine issue no.15 about my collection, written by Serge Valentin: |
30-07-2006 New to this site: 1999 Signatory 7 years old dumpy bottle 10 year old Spirit S.p.A. Genova nothing spectacular, but missing: |
| 15-07-2006 Postcard distillery, posted 22 August 1904 and: the backside Soon expected: Wile and Regal Brands, American 45% distillery bottles New Signatory dumpy bottle 1999 Cross Hill 1990 |
25-06-2006 Millennium Islay Mist flask, nice but probably not Laphroaig |
24-06-2006 New ten year old from S.p.A. Torino Rare original Laphroaig jug from the 80's New glassware which belongs to this set: |
16-06-2006 Hard to get bottle: 19 old distillery bottle to celebrate Laphroaig's 190th anniversary (thanks to Christian Warmuth) 10 year old distillery bottle German UNI import Picture of the six casks of the soon to be released distillery vintage 1987 |
12-06-2006 Given by my whisky pal Peter Poort (I had to kiss him for it, but OK...): Extremely rare old Cadenhead mini Pictures of the Super Wigman tasting on June the 10th (pictures with courtesy of Anton Iken) |
12-05-2006 |
18-04-2006 Extremely rare 10 year old "Islay Malt Scotch Whisky" / short cap |
15-04-2006 New added, the treasures from Limburg a. Lahn 2006: 10 year old Islay Malt Scotch Whisky G&M 15 year old, old brown label From the rock of Gibraltar: |
| Link to a new Dutch whisky magazine, first appearing in April:
Link to the Islay Whisky Club:
If you are an Islay fan, have a look here!! ---------- Link to a very original Dutch site: |
